The Holland Energy Park project in Holland, MI, has achieved a milestone in sustainability – the first power plant and park project designated Envision Platinum by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure. The park is part of a 40-year plan for a sustainable energy future.

To that end, the Holland Board of Public Works, along with project consultant HDR, decided to use natural gas with supplemental purchased power agreements for renewable energy.

“Our community set out to make the Holland Energy Park a benchmark for sustainable infrastructure development,” said Dave Koster, HBPW general manager. “We’re deeply gratified to have earned the Envision Platinum recognition from ISI, because it validates the sustainable, reliable, and affordable power generation we’ve built to serve our community for decades to come.”

The energy park is the 15th infrastructure project to achieve an Envision designation from ISI, an organization cofounded by ASCE in 2011.

The new plant sits on a 26-acre site on the eastern side of town. When fully operational, the $240 million park will feature:

• A modern building design that creates an eastern gateway to the city

• Doubling of the fuel efficiency of Holland’s present power generation

• Development of open, public space connecting Windmill Island Gardens to the Macatawa Greenway trail system

• Expansion of Holland’s innovative snowmelt system

• Latest combined-cycle natural gas generating technology, to produce up to 145 megawatts of power to meet the needs of a growing community

The ISI Envision rating system measures sustainable infrastructure projects in five categories: quality of life, leadership, natural world, resource allocation, and climate and risk. Engineers can receive an Envision Sustainability Professional credential (ENV SP) certifying their expertise in applying the rating system to projects.